The US, along with France and the UK has called for a special United Nations Security Council briefing regarding evidence that Russia has procured Iranian drones for its war on Ukraine.
(Bloomberg) — The US, along with France and the UK has called for a special United Nations Security Council briefing regarding evidence that Russia has procured Iranian drones for its war on Ukraine.
The US Mission to the UN said in a statement Wednesday that the so-called expert briefing would look into Russian procurement of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles “in open violation” of a Security Council resolution.
“There is ample evidence that Russia is using Iranian-made UAVs in cruel and deliberate attacks against the people of Ukraine, including against civilians and critical civilian infrastructure.”
Drones have been deployed in recent Russian attacks on power plants and other installations across Ukraine. About 30% of the country’s power stations have been destroyed since Oct. 10, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Wednesday.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has repeatedly denied that any of the country’s weapons have been exported for use in Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials have on several occasions identified what they say are Iranian-manufactured Shahed suicide drones.
Ned Price, a State Department spokesman, said in a statement that “as Iran continues to lie and deny providing weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, we are committed to working with allies and partners to prevent the transfer of dangerous weaponry to Russia.”
Earlier Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei boasted of the reputation of military drones produced in his country,
“When images of Iranian drones were published a few years ago, they would say they’re photo-shopped. Now they say Iranian drones are dangerous, why do you sell them or give them to so-and-so?” according to a report in the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
His reported comments came after a person with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg that the European Union proposed sanctioning three Iranian generals and one entity for providing drones and other military support to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
–With assistance from Arsalan Shahla.
(Updates with State Department statement, in sixth paragraph.)
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